


The Secret Life of Catalogs

by Estirose



Category: Libraries (Anthropomorfic)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-16
Updated: 2013-12-16
Packaged: 2018-01-04 19:45:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1084978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/Estirose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sometimes the catalogs chat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Secret Life of Catalogs

**Author's Note:**

  * For [somnolentblue](https://archiveofourown.org/users/somnolentblue/gifts).



"Your grandfather used Sears," the lookup computer said conversationally. What use was having an internet connection if it didn't use it for itself occasionally? Besides, it figured that the card catalogue, now used for cataloguing audio media, could use someone to chat with.

"Yes," the card catalogue rumbled, sounding like a bunch of cards being flipped through. "This was once a very small library system. It made sense to use Sears and not the full Dewey Decimal set."

"That's interesting!" It was made to show cheery graphics and still be useful, so cheery and useful it was. Even though it sometimes wondered why the other was still there.

"And I'll still function if the power goes out," the card catalogue rumbled. It must have been a sore spot, the lookup computer decided. Technology moved so fast, and these poor card catalogues were mostly antiquated. "Unlike you and Lynx."

"H)elp O)ptions P)rint G)o M)ain screen?" Lynx piped up, sounding vaguely like a great-aunt with dementia. The lookup computer felt so sorry for the special collections catalogue, named for the text-only browser it used. It had been bought cheap from a library in the west as the lookup computer's predecessor, and it was now suffering a second life as the lookup computer's backup as well as showing the specialty collection catalogue. The librarians must have felt it needed to be put to some use, after all.

"Back to sleep," the card catalogue rumbled. "I wasn't saying anything despairing."

Lynx blinked and did exactly that.

"I suppose I can't say anything," the lookup computer said. "The librarians around here still use AACR2." But sometimes even librarians were allowed to be behind the times. They deserved it, after having to constantly update to keep up with new technology in the field. 

"Fine by me." The card catalogue was quiet, listening to a pair of customers walk by. "230.9134 is two floors up and four rows down from the nearest stairs," it said, though they didn't hear it. "Assuming the whole section's not having coffee."

The lookup computer mentally nodded, doing a quick lookup. Religion books tended to wander off when peoples' backs were turned. And the Unitarian books were notorious for taking everybody out for a chat over coffee, especially. "They'll be there." Sometimes it wanted to tell the librarians about the secret lives of their books and other media. But it was never asked about that.

None of them ever were asked. Or at least none could ever answer. They, too, had secret lives.


End file.
